The invention relates generally to lamps used with vehicles to illuminate the environment external to the vehicle. More specifically, the invention relates to lamps that include data sensors for gathering data from the external environment. Also, the invention relates to a vehicle illumination and data transmission system.
Vehicles, such as automobiles, typically operate in an environment that includes many variables that may affect the operation of the vehicle. For example, on a typical urban highway, an automobile operates in close proximity to several other automobiles. The driver of the vehicle must continually monitor the surrounding environment and make operational decisions based upon various factors, such as the speed at which adjacent vehicles are traveling.
The ready availability and increasingly complex technological capabilities of various sensors have allowed vehicle manufacturers to begin manufacturing smart vehicles. These vehicles, through the use of a plurality of sensors, have the ability to detect various parameters about the environment in which the vehicle is operating. For example, sensors can detect the relative speed of the vehicles in front of and behind the smart vehicle. An on-board computer can process this information and make decisions that effect the operation of the smart vehicle. For example, if the information indicates that the vehicle in front of the smart vehicle is traveling at a slower rate of speed, the on-board computer can adjust the cruising speed of the smart vehicle to match that of the forward vehicle.
The development of smart vehicles has, however, encountered several difficulties. For example, to obtain a significant quantity of information regarding the vehicle operating environment, it is necessary to use a large number of sensors in the vehicle. The sensors should be protected from harsh conditions, and also should be essentially invisible to the consumer in order to not affect the aesthetic value of the vehicle. This presents packaging issues that require manufacturers to place sensors, and their associated components, into small spaces. Furthermore, many of the operational decisions that can be made based upon information concerning the operating environment require extremely quick data transmission between the sensor and the on-board computer. This presents a need for a vehicle data transmission system that can address a large number of sensors and handle the need for rapid data transmission speeds.
The present invention provides a vehicle lamp for illuminating an environment external to a vehicle and for relaying data between the vehicle and the environment. The lamp includes a sensor adapted to receive various types of data from the external environment, and also includes a light channel operably connected to the sensor. The light channel is adapted to transmit data away from the sensor and toward an on-board computer. The lamp can also include one or more wires or circuit traces connected to the sensor and a power supply that energizes the sensor. The wire can be a flat wire or flexible circuit, and can also include a non-conductive portion that is integrally formed with the light channel.
In a preferred embodiment, a vehicle lamp according to the present invention comprises a housing that defines an interior chamber and a bulb disposed within the interior chamber. A reflective surface is disposed within the chamber and is adapted to bundle light that is emitted from the bulb and to direct the light out of the housing. A bulb shield is disposed adjacent the bulb and is adapted to substantially prevent light from the bulb from exiting the housing without encountering the reflective surface. Also, the lamp includes the sensor and light channel discussed above.
The present invention also provides a vehicle illumination and data transmission system that incorporates a plurality of vehicle lamps according to the present invention. The system includes a system processor that is adapted to process data received by each sensor from each lamp of the plurality. Also, the system includes at least one sensor processor that is adapted to process data from at least one of the sensors from the plurality of vehicle lamps and to transmit data to the system processor.
In one preferred embodiment, the system includes a plurality of sensor processors, each of which is operably connected to one sensor from one lamp of the plurality of vehicle lamps. Particularly preferable, each sensor processor is operably connected to the system processor by the light channel of the vehicle lamp.
In another preferred embodiment, the sensor processor is centralized such that each sensor from each lamp of the plurality is operably connected to the sensor processor by the light channel.